Matadors are league champions

For the first time in 40 seasons, Monta Vista has a football championship that it doesn't have to share with anybody.

The Matadors left no doubt about it with a 48-7 Senior Night walloping of Gunn on Nov.1. Six different ball carriers scored touchdowns, helping Monta Vista wrap up its regular season with a sixth straight victory and the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League El Camino Division crown.

Monta Vista shared first place in the El Camino last season with Fremont, but did not qualify for the Central Coast Section playoffs.

The Mats made sure they would be invited to this year's CCS post-season party by sweeping the other five El Camino squads and finishing their abbreviated schedule at 7-2. With their 10th game canceled due to Harker's pull-out from the league, the Matadors have what amounts to two bye weeks leading up to the first round of the CCS playoffs on Nov. 22-23. Their playoff opponent will be determined at the CCS seeding meeting on Nov. 17.

The last time Monta Vista reached the playoffs was in 2008, when the Matadors' 18 seniors were in the seventh grade. After sharing the El Camino title with Homestead and Fremont that season, the Matadors lost 36-20 to Menlo-Atherton in the Division I playoffs and finished 8-3.

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Monta Vista had not finished first since 1978, when it shared a championship in the old De Anza Athletic League. Before that, the Matadors enjoyed a four-year reign as SCVAL champions in the early 1970s, winning the '72 and '73 titles outright and sharing first place in '71 and '74.

The Matadors' only CCS title came in 1992. After placing second in the DAL, they captured the Division I-3A tournament with wins over North Monterey County, Los Gatos and Wilcox.

The 2013 squad opened the season by blasting Overfelt 42-13, but losing two in a row against Sequoia 40-14 and Westmont 29-22, before going on its current six-game roll.

The Matadors started the streak with a 42-8 win over Fremont, then beat division foes Homestead 24-14, Lynbrook 41-8, Cupertino 28-14, Los Altos 35-14 and Gunn.

Senior Justin Cena ran the ball 15 times for 133 yards, including a 3-yard touchdown, his 18th of the season, to cap a 21-0 first quarter. Junior Max McCann scored the first two TDs on runs of nine and 18. He gained 61 yards on eight carries.

Seniors Will Major and Alexander Wu each hit paydirt with 1-yard runs in the second quarter, as Monta Vista took a 35-0 lead into halftime. Major also converted six of seven PAT kicks in the game.

The Matadors added two more scores in the third quarter, 2-yard runs by senior Won Lee and junior Sam Nastari, before Gunn (0-4, 1-7) finally broke the shutout with a short TD run in the final period.

Senior linebacker Tijani Karaborni led the Monta Vista defense with eight tackles, including a sack and a fumble recovery. Senior Rami Dwider delivered nine tackles, while Nastari had eight and sophomore Anshu Jain and senior Kyle Barry each had six. Faris Karaborni came through with five tackles, including a sack, and fellow senior Milanko Plavsic also had five. Seniors Paul Grandy, Akash Rama, Jatin Quezada and junior Nikhil Goel came through with four apiece. The Matadors had two takeaways, an interception by Rama and a fumble recovery by Wu.

The Matadors ran the ball on 45 of their 46 offensive plays, totaling 314 yards. Quarterback Ryan Manley, who threw just one pass, carried five times for 46 yards, while Lee gained 30 on eight runs and Nastari 29 on five.

It was the Mustangs' third straight win since their division-opening loss to Monta Vista. Homestead (7-1 overall) needs to win at Cupertino (1-2, 6-2) on Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m., to keep its hopes for a CCS playoff spot alive.

The Mustangs were alive and well against visiting Lynbrook (1-2, 6-2), while posting their second shutout of the season. Their defense, led by junior Preston Heen's eight tackles, held the Vikings (6-2, 1-2) to just one first down in the game, which came in the fourth quarter.

Senior Thomas Holm, junior Justin Miller and sophomore Devaun Crittle each made six stops, while juniors John Rak and Scott Snyder and senior David Almas were credited with four hits apiece. Almas and Jake Cervantes both had sacks.

Meanwhile, with 6-foot-5 senior Trey Arfman filling in for 5-foot-9 sophomore Jerome Holloway at quarterback, the Mustangs did not miss a beat on offense.

Senior Derek Rositas led the way with 115 yards on 13 runs, including two of Homestead's three touchdowns in the first quarter. He opened the scoring with a 37-yard TD and his 42-yard scamper gave the Mustangs a 3-touchdown lead.

The Thunder answered with a 52-yard TD run in the second quarter, but Jacob Alexander's 2-yard run and senior Mitchell Dang's 6-yarder made it 28-6 at halftime.

Dang added a 3-yard score in the third quarter, following a fumble recovery at the Stellar 28-yard line.

Cupertino extended its lead on a 37-yard field goal by Alexis Silva, who also was 6 for 6 on PAT kicks. Jason Moon capped the scoring with a 10-yard run in the fourth.

Knights stay alive

The King's Academy kept its title hopes alive in the Peninsula Athletic League Lake Division with a 28-14 win over Carlmont of Belmont.

It was the final home game of season for the Knights, who improved to 4-4 overall and raised their league record to 2-1, heading into a showdown with first-place Hillsdale (4-0, 6-2) on Nov. 8, 3 p.m. They will close the season the following Friday at winless Jefferson (0-3, 0-8) in Daly City.

Junior quarterback Dominic Sabel led the way against Carlmont, passing for two touchdowns to fellow junior Derek Friske and running for another.

Junior Alex Bae rushed for 108 yards and a score on 17 carries, and senior Luke Vereschagin was 4 for 4 on PAT kicks.